Cause Cafe Gives People With Special Needs A Second Home

What would a single mom with two kids diagnosed with severe autism cope with life? Be inspired by Stacey Wohl’s story.

Wohl, now 49, has two children, 19-year-old Britanny and 17-year-old Logan. Both have severe autism. Wohl had a difficult time seeking medical help for her kids. At the same time, being a single mom, she had to make a living for the family.

It looks like a tragic predicament for onlookers, but Wohl looked at it as an opportunity for her family, especially for her children. She opened up Cause Cafe, a coffee shop with a cause.

Cause Cafe – making a difference one cup at a time

In April 2016, Wohl opened the doors of Northport cafe to provide a place where her children can do work in a traditional setting. But, it doesn’t end there. Wohl started hiring people with special needs who wanted to earn a living but could not find a job due to their medical condition.

Jonathan Barksdale, a 25-year old with Asperger syndrome, related how he lost a job as a bagger in a grocery story but got lucky to chance upon Wohl’s Cause Cafe. He was hired in an instant.

“Just because they have a disability doesn’t mean they can’t do the same things we do. They want to be productive, they want to be happy, they want to feel fulfilled, they want to be in society and feel good about themselves”, Wohl explained during an interview with TODAY.

Currently, the cafe employs 15 staff, eight of them have special needs .

Wohl said that anyone can choose where they want to eat or have coffee, but if they come to Cause Cafe, they know that they are making a difference. Customers give an opportunity to employees who might not have a chance elsewhere.